Bill Gates urges U.S. to regulate AI, warning of a billion deaths

Bill Gates warned that unregulated AI development could cause a billion deaths, urging the U.S. government to implement safeguards. He spoke as former President Trump dismissed AI concerns as a hoax, creating a stark divide on the technology's risks. Gates said self-regulation is insufficient, citing a meeting with AI company CEOs who agreed on the need to slow development. He emphasized that law enforcement and politicians must define monitoring and safety measures, though he noted this would not dramatically slow industry progress. California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order this month for stringent AI oversight, including safety plans and a "kill switch" for frontier models. Trump, meanwhile, insisted the government already has criminal and regulatory power over AI companies.